It actually entered another phase.
This really does feel like fighting a boss.
The earlier phases hadn't carried much pressure. If this was all a so-called dragon amounted to—
Kanzaki Rei would honestly feel a bit disappointed.
Back when he'd listened to Akase and the others recount their adventures, a 7th-tier dragon had caused Izar's party tremendous trouble.
Even though he had always believed he would surpass them—
Deep down, he had still treated Akase and Izar as benchmarks to strive toward.
If a dragon like this had given them such difficulty…
It almost felt like a shattered illusion.
And now—
Kanzaki Rei stood with both hands in his pockets, gazing up at the golden dragon in the sky.
The gap between expectation and reality… was immense.
Legends always spoke of dragons as massive, but—
He hadn't imagined this level of scale.
Hundreds of meters? Thousands?
No…
This creature's size existed on an entirely different plane from humanity itself.
Its wings spread wide—
Golden draconic wings blotted out the entire sky.
Its power pressed down like a tangible force, crushing the earth beneath it. Just the aura it emitted was enough to shatter the land!
Aside from the single castle Kanzaki Rei was protecting—
The entire city had been reduced to ruins the moment its true form manifested.
A colossal shadow—
Comparable in size to the Earth itself.
So dragons… could actually be this large?
This was already on the level of a continent-sinking monster…
From the ruins below, two powerful figures shot into the sky!
"A dragon?!"
"Why is there a dragon here?!"
Kanzaki Rei glanced at them.
Two Level 7 Class Advancers.
Only two.
It seemed Level 7s were truly rare.
A city of that scale, yet only two such individuals.
Compared to that—
Misrill City really was a chaotic convergence of power.
There had been far more than two Level 7s there.
The dragon in the sky let out a low rumble:
"Human."
"All these deaths… are because of you."
"I had no need to reveal my true form. I could have erased him and left."
"But you insisted on turning this into a massacre."
"My power… is not something mortals like you can comprehend!"
The two Class Advancers followed the dragon's gaze—
And saw a child in black robes, holding a dark war spear, staring directly into the eyes of the golden dragon.
"Oh…? But I think your power might not be greater than mine."
Three minutes had passed.
His body was now three thousand times stronger—
With three thousand times the regeneration speed.
At the same time, the damage he received from the opponent continued to diminish.
After one minute, damage was reduced by 90%.
After two minutes, attacks only dealt 1% effectiveness.
Now, at three minutes—
The dragon could only inflict one-thousandth of its original damage.
Every minute multiplied his damage reduction by ten.
Kanzaki Rei's perception swept downward.
If the dragon targeted the castle directly, he might not be able to protect it.
He needed to draw its attention entirely onto himself.
Dragons were said to possess overwhelming pride.
He would exploit that.
Otherwise—
He might survive.
But he couldn't guarantee that the vampire wouldn't be turned into minced flesh.
After all, most of his talents were focused on self-preservation—not protecting others.
The dragon had just called his magic "heretical."
Which meant—
It was likely easy to provoke.
In an instant—
Kanzaki Rei appeared directly in front of the dragon!
Compared to its size—
He was like a human child standing before a planet.
Forget striking vital points—
Even a full-force punch wouldn't cover a single scale!
"Golden Dragon—if we speak purely of physical strength, you are no match for me."
"Do you dare fight me head-on?"
"Let the vampire's life below be our wager."
"If I lose, you can kill me—and then kill him."
"But if you refuse…"
"Then it means you admit that in terms of physical strength—you are inferior to me."
"Inferior to a Level 5 warrior."
Kanzaki Rei's body trembled—
His robe shattered, revealing a perfectly proportioned physique, every muscle sculpted with flawless symmetry and beauty.
Though still a child's body—
It had already reached physical perfection.
The kind of form that would leave even a young maiden blushing in awe.
"Face me honorably. I won't use magic—only martial techniques."
"I'll defeat you with pure physical combat!"
A Level 5 warrior's aura surged from his body.
Normally, it was difficult to determine someone's class if they concealed their presence.
But now—
He was broadcasting it openly.
"There is no mistaking it."
"Or what? The so-called unrivaled Golden Dragon doesn't even dare face a Level 5 warrior?"
"If you don't dare—then go ahead. Attack the vampire below."
"Use your 'honorable' methods."
Kanzaki Rei's voice was heavy with mockery.
"Who are you calling a coward?!"
"Despicable tactics are used only by your kind!"
"When I fight, I do so with honor!"
"Never has anyone said I lacked the courage to face a challenge!"
…Hooked.
Kanzaki Rei sighed inwardly.
Martial techniques were only a small part of his overall combat system.
His true strength lay in the integration of magic, soul manipulation, foresight, countermeasures, rituals, barriers, necromancy, and more.
Pure physical combat—
Would severely restrict him.
But he had no better option.
He could sense that the vampire below had entered the most critical stage of research.
If interrupted now—
Everything might fail.
The vampire likely had no idea what was happening outside.
Kanzaki Rei's barriers and restrictions had blocked not only shockwaves, but also sound.
Nothing from the outside world could reach inside.
He could guarantee his own survival against the Golden Dragon.
But protecting that castle from its attacks?
Right now—
He couldn't.
He had only just advanced to a Level 5 Mage.
Though he had mastered over a thousand 6th-tier spells—
Not all were defensive.
If the dragon truly went all out—
He wouldn't be able to protect the vampire.
Fortunately—
Achieving one's goal didn't rely solely on strength.
Intelligence mattered just as much.
"Very well."
"My original intention was to kill you first—then deal with him."
"Today, neither of you will escape!"
Kanzaki Rei felt the dragon's killing intent surge—
And in those few exchanged words, he had bought another thirty seconds.
[Firmament Flow — Third Form: Phantom Strike]
In an instant—
The dark war spear split into countless shadowy afterimages, erupting all at once!
BOOM!
Dark patterns spread across the dragon's body!
Yet—
The attack caused no damage whatsoever.
Instead—
The Golden Dragon's wings flared!
In a single instant, it surged forward!
Despite its massive size—
Its speed was nearly instantaneous.
Before Kanzaki Rei could react—
It slammed directly into him!
His entire body shattered—
Only to regenerate instantly.
Even at one-thousandth force—
It could still break his body?
Dragons were truly absurd.
If he hadn't advanced—
He might not have been able to defeat this dragon at all.
The impact sent Kanzaki Rei flying backward!
In a matter of moments—
The battlefield shifted completely.
From the city—
To the wilderness—
Then beyond—
Until they reached the distant sea!
Below him—
The ocean churned, black as ink, waves raging sky-high!
This battlefield—
Was the Turbid Sea.